Bio-entrepreneurship Support Facility

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ezebuiro, Nwagbo Christpeace

Background Information

The Bioenergy Development Programme (BDP) was designed to adapt anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to the regional biomass peculiarities so that the technology could be deployed for waste management, bioenergy and biofertilizer production.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a biotechnique that enables the production of vital compounds from biomass. The production of methane from biomass using AD technology is called bio-methanization. Bio-methanization produces biogas, which comprises methane (CH4 and carbon (IV) oxide (CO2) and digestate that is rich in nutrients such as phosphate, nitrogen and trace elements and could be used for soil enhancement. Bio-methanization technology has universal acceptance in biomass resources re-utilization for biomethane and biofertilizer production. However, the technology still faces the need for regional adaptation to meet unique substrate characteristics, purification of the biogas to enrich the biomethane produced and the determination of the biomethane potentials of biomass as a measure of enhancing the efficiency of the technology. In addition, bioprocess enhancers are required to increase biomethanization efficiency and encourage entrepreneurship in bioenergy systems development and deployment.

Objective and Scope

The main objective of the BDP is to Establish Engineering and Process conditions that Optimize Biomethanization Efficiency nationally. Scope includes:

  1. Design and development of adapted prototype AD digesters to enable deployment in households (HH), restaurants, markets and small- and medium-scale enterprises that generate biomass resources as bye-products.
  2. Design and development of test systems for bioenergy process optimization and determination of the biomethane potentials of the abundant regional biomass resources (ARBR) of Nigeria. This system is critical to the estimation of Nigeria’s biomass energy and will enable the projection of possible growth in the contribution of biomass energy to Nigeria’s energy mix.
  3. Development of AD optimization protocols for optimum utilization of the ARBR of Nigeria. This is expected to ensure that Nigeria continues to play a leading role in biomass energy research and deployment in the African region by finding and integrating new biomass energy resources into the Nigerian energy mix.
  4. Capacity building in the areas of adapting existing energy systems to utilize biomethane for heat and power generation. This is particularly important given that the programme also aims to deepen the penetration of biomass energy in rural heating to reduce indoor pollution and felling of trees for heat in rural Nigerian communities.
  5. Collaborating with Nigerian Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in further adaptation and deployment of the technology to meet national aspirations as they arise.

Milestones

  1. Development of three prototype digesters of sizes 250 L, 500 L and 1000 L that have been operationally tested and patented. These products are ready for commercial deployment.
  2. Design, development and operationalization of Biomethane test system for the determination of biogas and biomethane potential of biomass feedstock.
  3. Training of over 50 staff and other Nigerians on advanced bioreactor / biomethane digester design, fabrication, production, operation and maintenance.
  4. On-going collaboration is on-going between NABDA, EHORECON and Rural Electrification Agency (REA) on deployment of the AD technology for waste management, bioenergy production and electricity generation.

Collaborations

Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany

This collaboration enables capacity building of staff members and technology exchange and transfer between both countries in the areas of bioenergy in particular and biotechnology in general.

Environmental Health Officers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON)

NABDA and EHORECON are in collaboration involving training of EHORECON Officers on waste management and conversion techniques for improved sanitation in markets and abattoir.

Rural Electrification Agency

NABDA in collaboration with REA is developing an integrated energy system that includes biomass conversion to electricity in selected facilities across the country. The project will develop the necessary technology and capacity to integrate biogas energy systems into Nigeria’s electricity mix.